canessa



(No'Mod'eL) '2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

1 GANESSA. FOLDING BOX.

No. 280,013. Patented June 26, 1883.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2: P. GANESSA.

(No Model.)

FOLDING BOX.

Patented June 26, 1883.

N. PETERS. PhQlQ-blhdgmpher. Wzflunglon. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE. A

PARIDE GANESSA, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

.FQLDING BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,013, dated June 26,1883.

1 Application filed April 17, 1883. (Nomodeld To all whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, PARIDE CANESSA, of the city and county of SanFrancisco, State of California, have invented an Improved Folding Box;and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof.

My invention relates to the class of boxes the parts of which areconstructed and arranged to fold together in. small compass fortransportation and conveniencev in handling when not in use.

My invention consists in the means of hinging or connecting the sidesand ends to the bot tom, whereby they may be folded readily; in meansfor securing them together when opened, and of fastening the cover orlid thereto; and in certain other and further details of construction,all of which will be hereinafter fully explained, reference being madeto the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1, Sheet 1, is aperspective view of my boX, showing the lid open and a portion of thefront side broken away. Fig. 2 is a perspective detail, showing themeans for locking the sides and ends. Fig. 3 is aview of one corner ofthe boX and a portion of the under side of the bottom A, showing thelinks 0. Fig.4, Sheet 2, is a cross-section of the box folded. Fig. 5 isa side View of the same. Fig. 6 shows a modification in means forlocking the sides and ends.

The object of my invention is the provision of a box adapted to befolded up into a small compass when desirable, and to be opened andrigidly fixed when in use. The uses of such a box need not here be setforth at length; but the mention of fruit and packing boxes for generalmerchandise, traveling-boxes, &e.,will show the obvious advantages ofthe invention.

A is the bottom of the box. B B are its sides, and O C its ends. Thesides are hinged to the bottom by means of hinges b, placed inside forthe sake of appearances. The arrangement of these hinges upon one sideis such that when its side B is folded down it will lie flat upon thebottom, while the other side is adapted to lie flat upon the first side.This is accomplished by having the pintles of the hinges on the latterside higher up than on the former, whereby the side B, to which they areattached, will be raised in its folding sufficiently high to clear theedge of the first side piece when lying down, Figs. 1, '4. The ends ofthe side pieces are provided with (love tails Z).

The ends 0 O are connected with the bottom A by means of elastic links 0c, pivoted to the edges of each. These links are long enough to permitthe ends to clear the dovetails b when folding down to lie upon theuppermost side piece ornpon the cover, as in Figs. 4 and 5. The edges ofthe end pieces, 0 G, are mortised out at c, to admit the dovetails b ofthe sides.

Secured to the ends of the sides B B, near their upper edges, are strapsD, having their ends turned to form eyes (7. Secured in correspondingposition upon the ends 0 0, though by one screw only, near the center ofthe end of the box, in order that they may be sprung out when desired,are elastic straps E, having their ends bent around the edges of the endpieces and notched out or forked, forming double eyes 6 e, between whichthe eyes (Z are fitted when the parts are all brought to an up.- rightposition. Small pins F, secured to the box by chains or cords f, arefitted down through the eyes 6 d e, and thus lock the parts firmlytogether, Fig. 2. An additional security is add ed by reason of thesides dovetailing into the ends, as these latter cannot be moved withoutfirst moving the sides, which are themselves cured to the outer faces ofthe bottom and the ends and bent around the edges of each, as shown,forming bearings to which the links are pivoted.

Small strips of metal, H, may be used as faceplates to cover thedovetail joint of the sides and ends, Fig. 1.

To the upper edge of one of the sides B are secured staples i.

I is the lid or cover, the rear edge of which is provided with hooks i,which engage with the staples i and form therewith hinges to hold thelid in place, and yet to allow it to be readily removed whenneeessary.In order to secure this lid in front, I have shown three means, whichmay be used together or separately.

The first is the flat lock L, the bolt of which ordinary manner.

engages with the staple Z in the cover in the The second is the pivotedcatch J, which engages with a staple or eye, 70. The third is a link, M,hinged to a small bearing, m, within the box. This link, when turneddown, is out of the way, but when turned up passes up through a slot, m,in the cover, and is secured by any suitable'form of padlock.

The first two of the locking devices which I have described are wellknown; but the last one is particularly advantageous in connnection withthis box, in that, by reason of the link M being hinged, it may beturned down, and so be out of the way when the parts are foldedtogether. 7 i

In order to fold the box, the pins F are first taken out, the eye endsof the straps E E are sprung out enough to clear the sides B B, and thesides and ends are separated, the sides being bent out enough todisengage the dovetails b b, and the ends being then bent out suffi'ciently to allow the sides to pass inward. The

front side is then laid down fiat upon the bottom and the other'sidefolded down upon it. The cover, which has been previously unhinged, isthen laid upon the uppermost side, and the ends are folded down flatupon the cover, Figs. 4 and 5. The locking-pins are then inserted insome of the convenient eyes, to be out of the way.

Upon the end pieces I may secure any suitable form of handle. I havehere designated one handle by B.

As a modification of the means I have here tofore shown for locking theparts together I may use those shown in Fig. 6.

The straps D E, instead of being provided with eyes, have slots r madein them. A long bar, S, is pushed through these slots and lies againstthe inner surface of the end. At one side it is secured by having itsend turned at right angles,'and at the other side by having a small pinor staple, n, fitted through it. In this modification I show a featurewhich I have heretofore referred to in connection with the sides-namely,the raising of the pintl es of the hinges.

It will be observed that when applied to the ends, as shown in thisfigure, these latter may be raised high enough to fold down upon thesides, thus accomplishing -the same result as the pivoted links 0 c.

c c, pivoted to the ends and to the bottom, substantially as hereindescribed.

2. In a box, the bottom A, in combination with the sides B B, havingdovetails b and hinged by hinges b to the bottom, and the ends 0 O,hinged to the bottom by pivotedlinks c 0, and having notches or mortisesc, in which the dovetails b of the sides fit, substantially as hereindescribed.

3. In a box, the bottom A, in combination with the sides B B, hingedthereto, the ends 0 O, hinged by means of the pivoted links 0 c, and ameans for locking the sides and ends together when raised to form thebox, substantially as herein described.

4. In a box, the bottom A, in combination with the sides B .B, hinged tothe bottom, the ends 0 O, the pivoted links 0 c, hinging them to thebottom, and the means for locking the sides and ends together,consisting of the straps D 011 the sides, having eyes (I, the straps E011 the ends, having eyes 6, and the pins F, passingthrough said eyes de, substantially as herein described.

5. In a box, the bottom A, sides B B, and ends in combination with thecover or lid I and the means for hinging it, consisting of the hooks iand staples 2', arranged as shown, and the means for locking its front,consisting of the hinged link M on the side B, the slot on in the lid,and a padlock, all arranged substantially as herein described.

6. In a box, the bottom A and hinged sides B B, in combination with thehinged ends 0 C and the means for locking them to the sides, consistingof the straps 1) E on the sides and ends and suitable fastening devices,substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand.

PABIDE CANESSA.

S. H. NoURsn. 7

.G O, hinged together substantially as described,

